Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10

Gaṇeśa Mantra-vidhi: Mahāgaṇapati Gāyatrī, Vakratuṇḍa Mantra, Nyāsa, Homa, Āvaraṇa-pūjā, and Caturthī Vrata

Devanagari script

व्यापकं मूलमन्त्रेण न्यासोऽयं भुवनाभिधः । मूलमंत्रं समुञ्चार्य मातृकावर्णमीरयेत् ॥ १० ॥

Transliteration

vyāpakaṃ mūlamantreṇa nyāso'yaṃ bhuvanābhidhaḥ | mūlamaṃtraṃ samuñcārya mātṛkāvarṇamīrayet || 10 ||

Translation

This is the all‑pervading (vyāpaka) nyāsa performed with the root‑mantra, known as the “Bhuvana” nyāsa. Having first uttered the root‑mantra, one should then recite the letters of the Mātṛkā, the sacred alphabet.

Word by Word

• व्यापकम्: all-pervading
• व्यापकम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st) / द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र ‘न्यासः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (all-pervading)

• मूल-मन्त्रेण: by/with the root mantra
• मूल-मन्त्रेण: Karana (करणम्/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण/3rd), एकवचन; ‘मूलः मन्त्रः’ = root-mantra

• न्यासः: nyāsa (ritual placement)
• न्यासः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन; ‘this’

• भुवन-अभिधः: named “Bhuvana”
• भुवन-अभिधः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (कर्ता/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘न्यासः’; ‘भुवन-नामकः’ (called “Bhuvana”)

• मूल-मन्त्रम्: the root mantra
• मूल-मन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन

• समुच्चार्य: having recited
• समुच्चार्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Prerequisite action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-√चर् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund); ‘having uttered/recited’

• मातृका-वर्णम्: the Mātrikā letters
• मातृका-वर्णम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (कर्म/2nd), एकवचन; ‘मातृकायाः वर्णः’ = the Mātrikā letters/syllables

• ईरयेत्: should utter
• ईरयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर्/ईरय् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘should pronounce/utter’

Speaker

Sanatkumara (in instruction to Narada on technical mantra-nyasa procedure)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Mūlamantra
• Mātṛkā
• Bhuvana (Nyāsa)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It teaches that nyāsa is not merely external ritual—by placing the root-mantra and then invoking the Mātṛkā letters, the practitioner consecrates the body and awareness as a ‘bhuvana’ (microcosmic world) pervaded by mantra.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

While technical, it supports bhakti by prescribing a disciplined way to internalize the deity’s presence through mantra—making worship steady, embodied, and continuous rather than occasional or purely verbal.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects mantra-śāstra and śikṣā-style precision in pronunciation and sequencing—reciting the Mūlamantra and then the Mātṛkā varṇas as a structured ritual technique (nyāsa).